Incapacity

West's Encyclopedia of American Law
COPYRIGHT 2005 The Gale Group, Inc.

INCAPACITY

The absence of legal ability, competence, or qualifications.

An individual incapacitated by infancy, for example, does not have the legal ability to enter into certain types of agreements, such as marriage or contracts.

Under provisions of workers' compensation laws, the term incapacity refers to the inability to find and retain employment due to a disease or injury that prevents the performance of the customary duties of a worker.

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incapacity

in·ca·pac·i·ty
/ ˌinkəˈpasitē/
•
n.
(pl. -ties)
physical or mental inability to do something or to manage one's affairs:
they can be fired only for incapacity or misbehavior. ∎
legal disqualification:
they are not subject to any legal incapacity.

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